Where Does The MCU Go After 'Avengers: Infinity War'?

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With every progressing phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the stakes have been growing higher and higher. Even though it may not seem possible, the stakes of Captain America: Civil War will be dwarfed come May 4, 2018 thanks to Avengers: Infinity War. Infinity War is the end game of everything so far in the MCU. Of course we'll see Earth Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers, as we have in the previous films, in addition to the Guardians of the Galaxy and some newcomers. The question is: With everything so far in the MCU, where can Marvel go after Avengers: Infinity War?

The Threat Level Of Villains After Thanos Will Be Reduced

Photo: Marvel Entertainment

Let's recap the previous threats the Avengers face in their movies:

In Marvel's The Avengers, Loki wanted to subjugate Earth.

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ultron wanted to destroy the Earth.

Now, it won't be known for certain, but I'd bet a shiny buffalo nickel that Thanos's plan is to kill everything in the universe (which explains the involvement of the Guardians of the Galaxy in Infinity War). In the comics, Thanos went around the galaxy, killing everything he could to impress Mistress Death. Call me crazy, but no threat will seem like that big of deal after the Avengers deal with Thanos. Also, don't forget that Infinity War is slated to be a single film after being reduced from a two-part movie, so expect to see the last of Thanos in Infinity War. Marvel hasn't exactly kept villains around for very long in the MCU. That being said, there aren't a whole lot of threats in the Marvel universe as dangerous as Thanos. Even the Infinity War sequel likely won't have nearly as much danger as Infinity War.

The Remainder Of Phase 3 Should Continues To Expand The Scope Of The MCU

Photo: Marvel Entertainment

This one should go without saying, but expect more and more characters to be introduced to the ever-growing universe that is the MCU. There are several reasons for this. First, there are only so many character arcs you can put a single character through. They are dealing with a limited amount of source material, plus audience fatigue is a real thing.

Second, the contracts of many of the actors are set to expire soon. Not to say they won't be renewing them, but they could look to introduce new characters for cheaper talent who won't be demanding huge sums of money after having been in multiple successful MCU movies (according to Cinemablend, Chris Evans only made $6.9 million for Age of Ultron, and that movie grossed over $1 billion at the box office, so expect him to demand those big bucks when his contract expires, and soon there won't be enough money in the world to pay Robert Downey, Jr. for his roles as Iron Man).

However, the expanded scope isn't a bad thing. Phase 3 has already seen the introduction of Black Panther and Spider-Man. Captain Marvel and the formal introduction of Wasp have already been confirmed as well, and Marvel will likely keep up the rolling out of fan-favorite characters into the MCU.

The Netflix Characters Should Come To The Big Screen

Photo: Marvel Entertainment

Speaking of fan-favorite characters, expect to see characters from the Netflix series finally appear on the big screen. here is speculation that the characters — who include Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and the Punisher — will appear in Infinity War, although you might want to hold off your hopes, as it would make for an overcrowded film.

That being said, I refuse to believe that Marvel will not use these characters on the big screen. The characters are too strong to not include in the films, and fans would eat it up. How cool would it be to see Daredevil fighting alongside Spider-Man? Or how about seeing Luke Cage team up with the Hulk, Hawkeye, and some of the other Defenders from the comics? here would be too many good storylines for Marvel to pass up and not include them in the films.

The MCU Should Have More Films Like Guardians Of The Galaxy

Photo: Marvel Entertainment

Guardians of the Galaxy was extremely different from what audiences expected out of a comic book movie. Without a marquee hero like Batman or Iron Man, and not really taking a whole lot of inspiration from the comics, Guardians of the Galaxy is easily the biggest surprise in the MCU. Its lighthearted tone combined with its lovable characters and non-stop action make it one of the most memorable and enjoyable MCU movies. Guardians is proof that Marvel doesn't need to be super serious when making a movie, and they could apply that lesson to future films. However, please do not make the villain in any future MCU movie fall victim to the power of dance. It might sound like that last statement is in jest, but it's not. The main takeaway here is that Marvel should not be afraid to take some risks when making MCU movies.

Speaking Of Taking Risks

Photo: Marvel Entertainment

I walked into the theater for Captain America: Civil War fully expecting someone to get sent to meet their maker (my money was on Hawkeye). Despite there being what appears to be lasting consequences in the MCU, Marvel will have to start letting characters die and not being afraid of it. They are, after all, comic book movies, and while most do not follow the comics perfectly, characters do die in them. With the exception of Quicksilver in Age of Ultron, no Avenger or other Marvel character died. Marvel needs to start putting real danger in their movies in order to keep audiences engaged. If you walk into the theater knowing everyone is going to make it out alive, why see it?

Well, that is my two cents on some direction Marvel should take. Avengers: Infinity War is what the MCU has been building towards since day one, and it will be interesting to see if Marvel shakes things up once it's over.

Let's hope the Marvel heroes are up to the task of saving the planet, unlike these other scenarios in the video below:

Are you excited for Avengers: Infinity War? What about other MCU Phase 3 movies? Let me know in the comments!